My Greatest Treasure
by CaptainSwanLuver
Summary: After Killian learns Emma's secret, she fears he will change his mind about moving in with her.


**Spoilers:** Spec for episode 6x05. Based on the press release and BTS photo.

 **Note** : Can't wait for tomorrow's episode. I really want this secret out so they can make up and move forward. This is based on the BTS photo of Emma coming to meet Killian on the docks at night. Also wanted to explore that chest of Killian's a bit. Hope you enjoy it! ~Steph

… **My Greatest Treasure: Part 1/1...**

Emma couldn't stand the look of disappointment in Killian's eyes when she finally revealed the secret she had been keeping from him. She had seen that look in her parents' eyes before. Henry's too. But not Killian's. As the Dark One, yes. But not as her Killian.

She reached out to touch his arm. "Killian," she whispered.

He brushed past her without a word and disappeared from view. Emma blinked back tears.

...

She saw him standing on the docks, his face bathed in moonlight. Somehow, she knew she'd find him here and it made her stomach churn. Slowly, she approached him and came to stand before him.

"I was afraid I'd find you here," she said, her eyes scanning his face.

"Afraid?" he said, eyebrows lifting.

Emma nodded. "Yes. You were supposed to move in today, Killian. Your chest was already in my car. But then everything happened and we didn't get a chance. And now I find you here on the docks, your ship right there, waiting for you to return to it." She paused and swallowed roughly. "I know I hurt you. I wouldn't blame you if you changed your mind about moving in with me."

Killian sighed heavily. "Emma, I know you're accustomed to the people you love leaving you. I know you're always waiting for them to let you down. But when you love someone you work through your issues together. You don't allow one thing to derail your relationship. It's true I was hurt that you kept the truth from me, but I understand why you did it. Nothing could ever change the way I feel about you, Swan. There isn't anything you could ever say or do that could make me change my mind about sharing a home, a life, with you."

Emma tried to blink back her tears, but failed. He brought his thumb up and swiped at her cheek.

Her voice emerged softly. "But that future we dreamt of, Killian, might never happen. If that vision is accurate, then I don't have long to live. Maybe it was selfish of me to ask you to move in with me when I knew I might not be able to give you the future you deserve."

He cupped her face in his hand. "Hey, listen to me. I believe we will find a way to save you, love. But that has no bearing on our life together, on the here and now. All that matters is how we feel about each other and what we desire. I love you, Emma, and you love me. I belong with you. We belong together. And I will treasure every moment we have together, for however long they last."

Emma smiled weakly as his hand moved to her back and pulled her close to him, his lips descending upon hers.

After a few moments, Emma pulled back and brought her hand up to his jaw, her thumb running circles on his scruff. "If you weren't returning to your ship, then why did you come here then?"

Killian gestured to the water with his hook. "You know the water calms me. I needed a few moments to gather myself. The sting of you lying to me-..."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Aye, Swan, I know. That disappointment was momentary. It's the thought of losing you that lingers, no matter how much I tell myself that we will find a way to save you. My focus should be on making the most of the time we have together. I needed the water to help remind me of that."

Emma took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Are you ready to go home now?"

He tilted his head to the side. "I just need a few more moments, love. I will meet you at your yellow contraption shortly."

Emma smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said.

She turned on her heel to leave and he watched her go until he could no longer see her figure. Then he turned his eyes back to the water.

…

Emma unlocked the front door and stepped aside to allow Killian entrance. He placed the chest down on the floor in the living room and they both sat down on the couch.

Emma reached over and took his hand in hers, as she offered him a sweet smile. "I'm really glad you're here."

He returned her smile and squeezed her hand in his. "Aye, as am I."

Emma nodded at the chest, her eyes twinkling. "How is it that a 300 year old pirate has nothing but a chest to his name?"

Killian shrugged. "As I told Belle, the seafaring life doesn't call much for possessions."

Emma lifted her brow. "You were a pirate, Killian. You traveled all over the place in search of treasure. You craved riches. I saw it firsthand when we were up on that beanstalk. I half expected you to cram some gold down your leather pants."

Killian chuckled and offered her a grin. "Who's to say I didn't?"

Emma tilted her head to the side. "Seriously though. I know material items were once very important to you. What happened to the treasure you must have accumulated over all those years?"

Killian nodded. "You're right, love. I was once consumed with acquiring as much as I could. I took souvenirs from every conquest. I came into villages and took what I wanted, without a second thought. I suppose I was trying to use possessions to fill a hole in my heart that just couldn't be filled." He paused and met her eyes. "Until you came along, that is."

Emma smiled. "Really?"

"Aye. You, Emma, are the greatest treasure of my life. Finding you, loving you, filled that hole in my heart and then some. I realized I no longer needed those possessions that I once craved so mightily."

Emma lifted her hand to his cheek. "I'm glad I could do that for you. You filled a hole in my heart too." She paused, her brow furrowing. "But you didn't answer my question about what happened to all of your treasure."

He bobbed his head. "Ah, yes. Well, you recall the year we spent apart. You were in New York and I had returned to the Enchanted Forest. I tried to revert to the man I once was, but it was of no use. That chest," he said, gesturing with his hook, "was once filled with treasure. Gold and jewels. Before you, I would often stare at the items in that chest and muse about how rich I was. It brought me joy and comfort when nothing else could. And night after night while we were parted, I would stare at the items in that chest. But they brought me no joy, no comfort any longer. I realized I wasn't rich at all. I never was. I was poorer than I'd ever been because I didn't have you. In that moment, I knew that none of those things meant anything. All of that treasure was worthless to me. And I felt guilt and shame for how they had come into my possession. So, I decided to rid myself of it all."

Emma quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Aye. I had no way of returning them to their rightful owners, so instead I traveled into poor villages and gave them to the inhabitants. I knew I could never make amends for the crimes I had committed, but I felt that I could at least try to better the lives of those less fortunate."

Emma smiled. "You are full of surprises, Captain."

He grinned. "The last thing in my possession was the Jolly Roger. I never intended to give it up as it was my last connection to my brother and my home. But when I realized that I could use it to find you, I didn't hesitate. In the end, I knew I didn't truly need it either. All I need is you."

Emma brought her hand up to caress his cheek and then pressed a kiss to his lips. "Well, now you have me and you have a home. We have a home together."

A smile curled his lips. "Aye, that we do."

Emma reached down and lifted the lid to the chest. "So, just out of curiosity, what is in this chest then?"

Killian reached in and pulled out several items. "All that remains of my family. This gold necklace belonged to my mother. This ruby ring belonged to my father. This insignia was my brother's."

Emma reached inside and pulled an item out. She held the scarf up to Killian, as she met his eyes.

"This is the scarf you used to bandage my hand on top of the beanstalk. It fell off at some point without me realizing it."

Emma could still see spots of her dried blood on it.

"Aye. You dropped it after abandoning me atop that bloody beanstalk."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"I found it at the bottom after I freed myself," he replied with a smirk.

Emma's eyes scanned his face, as his hand reached out to touch the scarf. His fingers ran along it tenderly.

"It's ruined," she said. "Why did you keep it? And in your chest with mementos of your family?"

His eyes met hers. "I kept it as a reminder."

"A reminder of what?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

Killian sucked in a deep breath. "A reminder that I could feel more than hatred, that I could desire more than vengeance."

Emma's free hand covered his, which still lingered on the scarf. She brought them down to rest on her lap.

"What do you mean?"

Killian's gaze focused on her own. "You changed everything, Emma. Right from the outset, I knew you would change my life. It had been centuries since I felt truly alive, but I felt that way with you on that beanstalk. It had been hundreds of years since I felt my heart beat for more than revenge. For the first time in far too long, I thought perhaps I had a reason to live for more than my pursuit of vengeance. I thought perhaps I had found that in you."

Emma stared at him in shock. She never knew just how affected he had been by their encounter on the beanstalk. She had felt something too, but she never would have guessed that he had experienced something so deeply while with her for such a short amount of time.

"I had no idea," she whispered. "And you felt that way even after I didn't trust you and left you on that beanstalk?"

He bobbed his head. "Aye. I knew that wasn't truly about me. I knew it was about your past, about how you had been hurt. Just as I know that you keeping this secret from me wasn't about not trusting me." He paused, lifting the scarf. "But I also know I wasn't a man worthy of your trust then, worthy of you. Now, I look at this scarf every so often as a reminder of how we began and how far we've come together."

Emma smiled. "Together."

"Swan, we can overcome anything together. Even death. We've done it before and we'll do it again," he said with a firm nod.

Killian pressed a kiss to her lips, nuzzling her nose as he pulled back and then brought his lips to her forehead. Emma stood after a few moments, taking his hand in hers, as he placed the scarf back in the chest.

"Let's go to bed," she said softly.

Killian stood and Emma placed her head on his shoulder, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. They headed up to their bedroom.

...THE END...

Thanks for reading! I'd appreciate it if you could take a moment to let me know what you thought. ~Steph


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